Great Power Competition

A fresh opinion poll of UAE citizens, commissioned by The Washington Institute and conducted by a reliable independent regional firm in April 2023, reveals some of the most pro-American and anti-Iranian attitudes of any Arab country surveyed lately. On normalization with Israel, views are more mixed—yet surprisingly moderate, given this poll’s timing during Ramadan.

In a new public opinion poll commissioned by The Washington Institute and conducted in March-April by an independent regional firm, Kuwaitis appeared averse to any disruptions at home or around the region, even as tensions grow across Kuwait’s political scene.

In areas such as basing, air superiority, high-tech weapons, and intelligence, America must act assertively to maintain its edge against competitors like Russia and China.

Chinese influence extends beyond the economic sphere, posing serious threats to Egypt's security interests and relationship with the United States.

Amman will necessarily continue seeking Chinese direct investment for various purposes, but its rejection of Huawei echoes U.S. concerns about Beijing’s involvement in sensitive sectors.

In the longer term, the increased flow of weapons will likely exacerbate tensions in the region, spur Arab states to enhance their own arsenals, and endanger any U.S. and partner forces that confront Tehran’s proxies.

The UAE, Israel, India, and other countries are showing why smaller-scale collaboration based on shared interests can offer distinct advantages in a multipolar world.

One hopes that the U.S. intelligence community picked up all the chatter between oil producers even if energy analysts and the news media did not.

The region has been most receptive to Moscow’s war narrative, which Russian state-run media outlets have been permitted to spread far and wide with no Ukrainian or Western counter-narrative.